


Love and Devotion

by Waldo



Category: Hornblower (TV)
Genre: Angst, Canon Compliant, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-12-03
Updated: 2003-12-03
Packaged: 2017-10-05 12:26:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/41709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Waldo/pseuds/Waldo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A little weepy, fairly slashy, deals with a canon death and kind of well... ignores some salient points from the end of "Loyalty"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Love and Devotion

It wasn't as if they'd spent a long time debating the pros and cons of it before jumping in. And in retrospect, William thought, perhaps they should have. Horatio was at the window when he woke, staring out, chewing on his lip. "Horatio?"

Horatio came over and sat on the edge of the bed they'd shared. "I'm sorry, William. I'm sorry, but I think perhaps... this was a bad idea."

William nodded, wishing it weren't true, but he'd known that Horatio had reached that conclusion before he spoke.

"It's not that I don't care for you. I do. Deeply. But, I feel like I'm being disloyal."

William nodded, hoping the dark hid his hurt. "The young lady. . ."

Horatio looked up, confused for a second. "Maria? No." He took a deep breath. "No, it wasn't her I was thinking of."

And then, all at once, William understood. He sat up and took Horatio's hand. "He is gone, Horatio. I would do anything for it not to be so, but it is."

Horatio nodded. "I know." Horatio took a shuddering breath and William could see the tear tracks on his cheeks in the moonlight. "He never felt worthy of devotion," he finally whispered. "Never felt worthy of being loved."

William pulled Horatio against his chest, clear in his mind his talk with Kennedy while they'd kept watch so Horatio could sleep for a few hours during Captain Sawyer's ridiculous punishment for a crime Horatio hadn't committed. "He may not have felt worthy, Horatio, but he knew he was."


End file.
